Tour Difficulty

Backcountry Tour Difficulty and Definitions

Which tour difficulty is right for you? Keep in mind all tours run for 5 days.

First, work out your ski or snowboard skill level. But remember that if you are new to the backcountry, your resort skier/rider level usually goes down half a notch when you get out into real snow and terrain.

Second, consider your backcountry experience and fitness

"Joining the wrong tour sucks"

— customers and guides over the years

Easy

Ski/Snowboard Level

Upper Intermediate

For skiers in resort, this means driving skis like you own them, not just standing on them. In control parrallel and off-piste with no backseat action. For snowboarders: seldom sit down, and know how to anticipate terrain and stop when and where you want every time. Know how to use a snowboard as a tool to get your riding done as best as possible.

BC Experience

BC Beginner

Very few backcountry days, or none. Not familiar with backcountry gear or layering. You probably have lots of new gear, or are about to buy it. And you maybe use mittens and those strings to tie them to your wrists :-)

Fitness: capable of 500-700m climbing per day. Some days 1000m. We always start out easy and slow on easy-level backcountry tours

Moderate

Ski/Snowboard Level

Upper Intermediate

For skiers, in resort this means driving skis like you own them, not just standing on them. In control parrallel and off-piste with no backseat action. For snowboarders: seldom sit down, and know how to anticipate terrain and stop when and where you want every time. Know how to use a snowboard as a tool to get your riding done as best as possible.

BC Experience

BC Intermediate

Maybe 20 days in the backcountry, enough to to work out the basics of gear, laying and transitions. You might still be still using mittens and those wrist strings, despite obvious reasons why you shouldn't :-)

Fitness: capable of 1000m climbing per day after an easy first day. Some days we might climb 1500m.

Challenging

Ski/Snowboard Level

Advanced

This means being very very good in resort. Skiers and snowboarder who are able to ride long continuous resort runs together on almost any terrain with roughly the same speed, flow and athletic aggression.

BC Experience

BC Advanced

A couple of solid seasons and 30+ days in a wide variety of backcountry terrain and snow types. Very few gear issues. Fast transitions!

Fitness: capable of 1000 - 1500m climbing per day, every day, if required.

Tough

Ski/Snowboard Level

Advanced

This means being very very good in resort. Skiers and snowboarder who are able to ride long continuous resort runs together on almost any terrain with roughly the same speed, flow and athletic aggression.

BC Experience

BC Expert

Very capable in the backcountry, maybe 50+ days of diverse experience. No practical fitness or gear limitations. In low angle rolling terrain, snowboarders can lock their heels and ski in split mode quickly and when ever needed to move across terrain with skiers. Fast transitions!

Fitness: easily capable of fast 1500m days, every day, if required. Some days up to 2000m.